Tractor seat



March 1952 v. M. ooszus 2,587,711

TRACTOR SEAT Filed April 23, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 March 4, 1952 v o us 2,587,711

TRACTOR SEAT Filed April 25, 1948 2 SI-lEETSSl-IEET 2 l atented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PA'iiETNT err-ice TRACTOR "SEAT Vander M. Dobeus, Findlay, Ohio, assignor :to

Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Application April 23, 1948;eri'2tl No. 2126879 3 Claims.

the drivers part of the seat, and the companions part .of the seat is usually formed in one piece with the drivers part, that is, arelatively long seat cushion or the like, and a continuous support therefor, of the same length, extend transversely of the tractor from one end of the bench seat to the other.

In connection with such tractors, it is further usual to arrange manually operable control means of allied equipment, such as the control levers of a rear mounted winch or of a self-loading scraper, Within rearward reach from the seat, so that the driver may manipulate the controls of the tractor and of the allied equipment from a sitting position. Under these circumstances it is desirable that the driver be able'to turn around from his normal forwardly facing driving position to a lateral position from which he can observe trailing equipment behind the tractor, and from which he can reach the equipment controls, as well as the tractor controls. However, the usual bench seat construction and arrangement as heretofore employed, have made it diflicult, or at least inconvenient, for the driver to do this, as is well known in the art. The exertion of the driver in looking back and manipulating the equipment controls has been found particularly objectionable during protracted working periods, as in road work, which require more or less constant observation of the trailing equipment and.

and also to facilitate observation of trailing equipment and manipulation of its controls, for instance, by mounting a one-man bench seat longitudinally at one side of the tractor so that a driver occupying such side seat would confront the other side of the tractor and normally faceat right angles -to the direction of propulsion. However, such ,previous attempts are believed to have not been entirely satisfactory, particularly in the matter'of converting an ordinary transverse seat tractorinto aside seat tractorandof reconver-tin'g --the side seat tractor into a transverse .seattractcr-in which adriverlmay normally 'be seated in a forwardly' -facing driving .position.

Generally, it is an objecto'f the :invention .to

provide anim-proved tractor which avoids the a above mentioned difilculties and shortcomings 'of the prior-arh and which takescareof ithe drivers requirements for observation-and control ot-rearward I allied equipment in a practical and fully satisfactory manner.

More particularly, it is-an objectof the invention to provide an improved tractor-seat which will enable a driver tooptionally place himself into anormal, forwardly facing driving. position, or intoia convenient sidewiseposi-tion from which he can observe any itrailing equipment that may be hitched to the tractor, and from whichsidewisenposition he can manipulate tractor controls forwardly of the seat, as well as-equipment controls rearwardly of the seat, Without undue exertion.

.mentioned character, which is extremely simple in construction, which will not readily'be damaged or get out of order under rough working conditions such as are incident to the operation of heavy duty tractors, and which maybe manufactured at relatively low costs.

These and other objects and advantages are attained by the present invention, various novel features of which will be apparent from the description herein and the accompanying drawings, disclosing an embodiment of the invention, and will be more particularly pointed out'in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the rear "half of a crawler tractor and of allied equipment, in the form of a winch mechanism'which' 'is m'ountedat therear of the tractor;

Fig. 2 is a front-view of 'a-seat installation shown in Fig. lyside frame members of -the*tractor and a deckstructure beingshown in section on line Illf Fig. Land the seat installation being shown in condition to accommodate :a driver and a companion at oppositesides, respectively,'o1" the tractor;

Fig. 3'is a top view of the parts shown in Fig. 1,

the seat installation being shown in condition to 3 tively, on an enlarged scale, of a dual seat support shown in Figs. 2 and 4; and

Fig. 7 is a side view of a seat cushion shown in Fig.2.

In the construction of crawler tractors, it is a customary practice to support a main frame by means of a three-point suspension on a pair of self-laying track units; to mount the engine on a forward part of the main frame; to enclose a power transmitting mechanism, which is operable to vary the drive of the track units, within a relatively large transmission housing which forms a rear part of the main frame; and to provide for control of the tractor from a rearwardly located drivers station on the main frame. The most commonly employed steering principle is that which requires a pair of clutches for interrupting the drive to one or the other of the track units, and a pair of brakes for retarding or arresting the deenergized track unit, as is well known in the art. In tractors which employ this steering principle a pair of manually operable steering levers for controlling the clutches, and a pair of foot levers or pedals for operating the brakes are arranged at the drivers station. A large tank for storing engine fuel is usually mounted at the rear of the drivers station.

The tractor shown in the drawings incorporates the hereinaoove outlined general principles of construction and operation. The reference character I in Figs. 1 and 2 generally designates a self-laying track unit of the endless track type at the left side OI the tractor, and the reference character 2 in Fig.2 designates a corresponding track unit at the right side of the tractor, the terms right and left being used in conformity with the orientation of a driver stationed at the rear of the tractor and facing forwardly in the direction of propulsion, that is, toward the left in Fig. l.

A large transmission housing generally designated in Figs. 1 and 2 by the reference character 3, forms the mentioned rear part of the main frame, and a pair of box section side members 4 and 6 of the main frame are secured at their rear ends to the transmission housing 3 and extend forwardly therefrom at opposite sides or the tractor. An internal combustion engine 1 whose rear end is shown at the left of Fig. l, is mounted at the forward end of the tractor between the side frame members i and t and in forwardly spaced relation to the transmission housing 3. A track belt drive sprocket 8 for the left track unit I, and a corresponding track belt drive sprocket (not shown) IOI the right track unit 2, are rotatably mounted at opposite sides, respectively, of the transmission housing 3, and are connected through suitable power transmitting mechanism, not shown, in driven relation with the engine I. The usual steering clutches and steering brakes, not shown, are enclosed in the transmission housing 3. A drawbar structure 9 for hitching a trailing vehicle to the tractor is attached to the main frame in the customary manner and extends rearwardly beyond the transmission housing 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

A top structure rearwardly of the engine 1 comprises a pair of fenders H, l2 (Fig. 2), a dash panel I3 (Fig. 1), floor plates [4, l6, l1, [8 (Fig. 3), a pair of battery boxes l9, 2| (Fig. 2) at opposite sides of the tractor, a fuel tank 22 bridging the fenders in rear of the battery boxes, and a seat assembly to be described more fully hereinbelow and which is arranged between the battery boxes I9 and 2| and forwardly of the fuel tank 22.

, The left fender i I has a vertical, substantially rectangular wall part (Figs. 1 and 2) and a horizontal wall part which extends outwardly over the track unit I, and whose forward and rearward outer corners are rounded as shown in Fig. 3. The fender H is secured at a rear portion of its vertical wall part to the left side of the transmission housing 3 by means of bolts 23, and it is supported on the left side member 4 of the main frame by means of a reinforced angle bracket 24 (Fig. 2) which is secured to a forward portion of the vertical wall part of the fender l and to the top of the side frame member 4. The right fender I2 is an opposite hand duplicate of the fender H, and the foregoing explanations with respect to the construction and mounting of the fender ll analogously apply to the fender 12. Fig. 2 shows a reinforced angle bracket 26 which corresponds to the angle bracket 24, and which connects a forward portion of the vertical wall part of the fender l2 with the side frame member 6.

The dash panel I3 is mounted on the floor plate M (Fig. 3) which in turn is secured at its opposite sides to the fenders I l and I2, and which extends in the same horizontal plane as the horizontal wall parts of the fenders. A pair of steering levers 21 and 28 (Figs. 1 and 3) for operating the steering clutches of the tractor, are pivotally mounted on a bracket 29 which is secured to the dash panel [3 and extends rearwardly therefrom, as shown in Fig. 1. Also mounted on the bracket 29 is a throttle control lever 3| which i pivotally adjustable about the same axis as the steering levers 21 and 2B.

The floor plate 16 forms a continuation of the floor plate l4 and it is supported at its opposite ends on the fenders H and I2. A pair of relatively adjacent brake pedals 32 and 33 (Figs. 1 and 3) are mounted in upwardly projecting relation to the floor plate It and are operable in the usual manner to apply and release th steering brakes of the tractor. The floor plate [6 has a slot 34 (Fig. 3) to accommodate back and forth movement of the brake pedal 32, and another slot 36 is formed in the floor plate 16 to accommodate back and forth movement of the brake pedal 33. A foot rest 31 is mounted on the floor plate H5 at the right side of the brake pedal 33 and a similar foot rest (not shown) is mounted on the floor plate It between the brake pedals 32 and 33 and under the dash panel bracket 29.

The floor plate I! form a continuation of the floor plate l6, and like the latter, is supported at its opposite ends on the fenders H and 12. The floor plate I! has a central cutout 35 to accommodate a mounting base 33 for a gear shift lever 39, and another cutout 4| at the left side of the tractor to accommodate a master clutch actuating lever 42.

The floor plate [8 is of the same width transversely of the tractor as the floor plate H and forms a continuation of the latter, the opposite ends of the floor plate I8 being supported on the fenders II and I2, respectively, and the floor plate l8 having a transverse rear edge 43 in forwardly spaced relation to the front wall of the fuel tank 22.

The assembly of the fenders H, 12 and floor plates I4 to 18 forms a horizontal deck structure rearwardly of the engine I and forwardly of the fuel tank 22. The battery box I9 is secured in fixed position on top of the fender l I and has atex- 71 1 a padded lid 44 ('FigJZ) *to close'a top opening of the'battery box, the sides of the box being formed by longitudinal Vertical side walls 46- and '4'! (-Fig. 3') "and by transverse front and rear walls 138 and-49. The'batt-ery box 2| is'a duplicate by the reference characters 53 and 54. The top opening of the battery box -2| is closed by a padded-lid 56 (Fig. 2) which, like the padded lid '44-'of the batterybox I9, is removable to afford access to the interior of the box. boxes -|9 and 2| form side -members of a rear- The battery ward operators compartment on the tractor,

-the side members-extending longitudinally at opposite sides, respectively, of the tractor in transversely spaced relation to each other and affording arm rests of said'operatorscompart- :ment.

Referring to the seat assembly which, as stated, is arranged between the battery boxes l9 and 2| andforwardly of the fuel tank 22, a seat cushion 57 and a seat section 58 supporting the cushion -51 are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and form -a drivers seat 'rearwardly of the steering levers 21,28 and brake pedals 32, 33. The seat cushion comprises-a rigid, rectangular upholstery frame,

.not shown, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the

width of'the seat cushion 5?, transversely of the tractonis somewhat less than one-half of the distance between the relatively opposed side walls A6-and5| of the battery boxes l9 andfl, respectively. The depth of the seat cushion 57. longitudinally of the tractor, is somewhat less than the length of the battery box l9, the rearedge of the seat cushion being spaced forwardly from the front wall of the fuel tank 22, and the front edge of the seat cushion being spaced a short distance rearwardly from the front wall d8 of the battery box Is, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The seat section 58 comprises a rectangular top on which the frame of the seat cushion 57 rests, a left side portion depending from the top at the right side of and in proximity to the battery box 19, and a right side portion depending from the top at the left side of and in proximity to a dual seat support 59 which extends upwardly between the battery boxes NJ and 2|, substantially at the center of the tractor.

A tool box 6| (Figs. 2 and 4) is bolted to the floor plates i1 and la below the seat section 58, and the dual seat support-5s is secured to the tool box 6| at the side of the latter which faces toward the battery box 2|. Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, a heavy gauge sheet metal plate 62 which forms part of the dual seat support 59, extends longitudinally of the tractor in an upright posi- *tion and has a straight vertical base part which is welded to the mentioned side of the tool box 6 I, and a straight vertical web part which is offset from the base part toward the batterybox 2|. The base part of the plate 52 has a straight horizontal bottom edge 63 (Fig. 6) and the web part has a forwardly and upwardly inclined front edge 66, a rearwardly and upwardly inclined rear edge 66, and a straight horizontal top edge 61. The plate 62 is reinforced, at the side thereof which faces the battery box 2|, by a plate metal bracket 68 adjacent to the forward end of the plate d2, andby another plate metal bracket 69 adjacent to the rearend of the plate 62. The bracket 68 is set-on'edge against the base and web parts of the plate62 andsecured thereto-by welding. Atits upper end the bracket 68 has a wing portion m which is bentforwardly to extend in a horizontal plane and at the side of the plate fizwhich faces the battery box 2|, and a front part of the wingportion it is bent upwardly -'to form a front stop H in a vertical plane at right angles to the plate 62 and at the side of the latter which faces the battery box 2|. An -edge portion -12 (Fig. 5) of the wing 10 is welded to the top edge El of the plate 62, and a vertical plate part 13 on top of the wing '10 is welded at its-bottom edge to the latter and-at its front-edge-to the stop '||,-the plate part 13 forminga side stopin a vertical plane parallel to the plate 62 and at the side of the latter which'faces the battery box 2 The foregoing explanations with respect to the construction and mounting of the front bracket 68 similarly apply to the rear bracket 69 which is an opposite hand duplicate of the bracket 68. That is, the rear bracket 59 has a horizontally and rearwardly extending wing part 74 and arear stop 7'6 which correspond, respectively, to the wing part'l'fi and front stop 1| of the bracket '58,--and a side stop El is secured to the wing part 7-4 and extends in the same vertical longitudinal plane as the side stop 13.

At the side of the plate 62 which faces the tool loo-x 6 i, an angle iron l8'is welded to the web part of the plate 62 and extends parallel to the horizontal top edge El of the latter, one flange of the angle iron '58 forming an elongated horizontal shelf at a short distance below the top edge ti. Another angle iron 19 of the same length asthe angle iron 18 is welded to the side wall 45 of the battery box |9 in such relation to the angle iron 78 that the horizontal flanges of the angle irons extend in a common horizontal plane.

The angle iron '59 forms a single seat support at the left side of the dual seat support 59.

The dual seat support 59 and the single seat support 19 cooperate, respectively, with opposite side portions of the drivers seat section 58 to mount the latter and the seat cushion 5'1 at the left side of the tractor in vertically adjustable relation to the battery box l9 and dual seat support 59. A vertical series of horizontal channels 85. and another series of horizontal channels 32 (Fig. 2) are connected with the right and left vertical side portions, respectively, of the seat section 58, and Fig. 2 shows the drivers seat 5?,

:58 adjusted to a minimum height above the floor If it is desired to adjust the drivers seat to a higher position, the seat section 58 may be pulled'forwardly out of engagement with the angle irons l8 and i9, and it'may then be reinstalled in an elevated position by moving it back between the angle irons l8 and 79, as indicated in Fig.4.

A back rest cushion 83 of the same width transversely of the tractor as the seat cushion 51 is secured in rear of the latter to the vertical front wall of the fuel tank .22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Features of the adjustable height drivers seat disclosed herein are claimed in an application of Bernard J. Murphy, Serial Number 24,195, filed on April 30, 1948, for Adjustable Height Vehicle Seat.

Referring to Fig. 2, an auxiliary seat structure for accommodating a companion next to the driver in a forwardly facing position at the right 'sideof the tractor comprises a companions seat section in the form of a'seat cushion 84 which is a duplicate of the seatcushion 5! and which is removably installed at the right side of the tractor between the dual seat support 59 and a single seat support on the battery box 2!. The seat cushion 84 includes a rigid, rectangular upholstery frame which is made up of a board 85 and a pair of angle irons 85 and 85". As'shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the angle iron 85' has a vertical flange which extends longitudinally of the board 85 at the front side of the seat cushion 84, and a horizontal flange which extends rearwardly under and is fastened to the board 85. Similarly, the angle iron 95" has a vertical flange which extends longitudinally of the board 85 at the rear side of the seat cushion 94, and a horizontal flange which extends forwardly under and is fastened to the board 85. The length of the board 85 and of each of the angle irons 85 and 85" is somewhat less than the spacings of the side stops 13, T1 (Fig. from the wall 5| of the battery box 2|, and the width of the seat frame measured between the outside faces of the front and rear angle irons 85', 85 is somewhat less than the spacing between the front and rear stops H, l5, respectively, of the dual seat support 59 shown in Fig. 6, and somewhat less than the spacing between the front and rear plates 87, 88 shown in Fig. 3. The wing portions 79 and M of the dual seat support 59 provide front and rear shelves on which the upholstery frame of the seat cushion 84 rests at its forward and rearward corners adjacent to the center of the tractor. The frame edge of the seat cushion 84 adjacent to the battery box rests on the single seat support, which, as stated, is secured to the battery box 21. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the single seat support on the battery box 2| comprises a horizontal metal strap which is welded on edge to the wall 5! of the battery box 2!, and a pair of vertical front and rear plates 8"! and 88 (Figs. 3 and 4) which are welded to the wall 5| of the battery box it and to the opposite ends of the bracket strap 85. The front and rear plates 8'! and 83 of the single seat support on the battery box 2! and the front and rear stops H and 15 (Fig. 5) of the dual seat support 59 cooperate with the forward and rearward frame edges of the seat cushion 84 to limit back and forth movement of the seat cushion 84. Lateral shifting of the seat cushion 8 transversely of the tractor is limited by the side wall 5! of the battery box 2| and by the side stops i3 and M (Fig. 5) of the dual seat support 59. It will be noted that the described mounting of the cushion 84 permits ready installation of the companions seat in the operative position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, and also ready removal of the companions seat from said operative position, it being only necessary, in order to remove the companions seat, to lift it from the wing portions 10 and M of the dual seat support 59 and from the strap 85 of the single seat support on the battery box 2]. Another back rest cushion 89, which is a duplicate of the back rest 83, is secured to the front wall of the fuel tank 22 at the right side of the tractor and next to the back rest 83.

Figs. 1 and 3 show a winch mechanism, generally designated by the reference character 9|, which is mounted on the transmission housing 3 at the rear of the tractor. The winch mechanism is of a well-known type which is commonly used in conjunction with crawler tractors. A conventional power take-off of the tractor is designated by the reference character 94 in Fig. 1, and the winch mechanism has a power input shaft which is connectable with and disconnectable from the power take-off 94 by a conventional sleeve coupling 95. The winch mechanism has two cable drums for operating a selfloading scraper or other equipment which may be hitched to or mounted on the tractor, and the winch mechanism 9! also includes two control levers 92 and 93 which extend upwardly behind the fuel tank 22 and Whose handle ends extend forward over the top of the fuel tank.

In order to operate the tractor, a driver may take a normal forwardly facing driving position on the seat cushion 51', that is, at the left side of the tractor and directly behind the steering levers 21 and 28 and brake pedals 32 and 33. In this position the driver may operate the steering levers 2i and 28 with his left and right hand, respectively, and the brake pedals 32 and 33 with his left and right foot, respectively. Assuming that the seat cushion 84 is installed in the operative position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, a companion may place himself on the seat cushion 84 at the right side of the tractor in a normal forwardly facing position. The padded lids i4 and 56 of the battery boxes serve as arm rests for the driver and companion, respectively.

When the tractor is used in conjunction with trailing equipment, such as a self-loading scraper, it may be necessary for the driver to frequently turn around in order to observe the trailing equipment and to adjust it from time to time by manipulation of the winch control levers 92 and 93. Under these circumstances, the seat cushion 3 l at the right side of the tractor is preferably removed from the support 59 and strap 86, and stored at some other place. As a result of the removal of the seat cushion 84, a leg space will be exposed at the right side of the drivers seat, and the driver will have room to turn from the mentioned normal forwardly facing driving position into another driving position on the seat cushion 5? in which he faces toward the right side of the tractor, and in which he may place his right foot into a convenient position on the fioor area between the battery box 2i and the support 59, and his left foot into a convenient position forwardly of the seat cushion 51. In such other or turned driving position, the driver may conveniently look to the right in order to observe the trailing equipment or to the left in order to observe the direction of travel of the tractor. If it is necessary to manipulate the control levers 92 and 93 of the winch mechanism, the driver, while seated in said turned driving position, may conveniently reach and operate these levers, and if it is necessary to change the direction of travel of the tractor, the driver while seated in said turned driving position, may reach and operate the steering levers 27 and 28 with his left hand and the brake pedals 32 and 33 with his left foot. In this manner, the driver will be able to operate the tractor and the trailing equipment properly and for long periods of operation without undue fatigue. If desired, the seat cushion 8% may be placed on top of the seat cushion 51 in order to raise the driver and give him a better field of vision from his turned driving position. The single seat support 86, 81, 88 is mounted on the battery box 2| opposite to and at a predetermined distance from the dual seat support or shelf structure 59, so that upon removal of the companions seat section 84 there will be no cross brace or other objectionable obstruction in the space between the battery box 2| and the shelf structure 59.

It will be noted that in the herein disclosed embodiment of the invention driver operated tractor controls, which include the steering levers 2'1, 28 and the brake pedals 32, 33, are mounted at a rearwardly located operators station on the tractor, and that a drivers seat which includes the seat cushion 57 and the-seat frame 58 is mounted at said station rearwardly of said tractor controls. A back rest structure which includes the fuel tank 22 and the two back rest cushions 83 and 89 is mounted on and extends transversely of the tractor and has a portion 83 in rear of the drivers seat, and another portion 89 at one side of the drivers seat. 'A companions seat section 84 includes a frame structure 85, 85', 85" which is engageable with shelf means l9, 14, 86 on the tractor so as to removably support the companions seat section in an operative position forwardly of the other portion 89 of the back rest structure and in overlying relation to a leg space at said one side of the drivers seat. The tractor has a drawbar 9 for hitching trailing equipment thereto, and a power take-on? 9 3 which is connectable with a power unit 9! for operating such trailing equipment.

Upon removal of the companions seat section 84 from its operative position a driver may place himself into a sidewise position on the drivers seat for forward observation of the tractor and rearward observation of the trailing equipment, and for manipulation of said tractor controls and of a control element which is represented by the control lever 92 or 93 and which is connected with the power unit 9! and located rearwardly of the drivers seat.

It should be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the hereinabove described forms and details, and that the invention includes such other forms and modifications as are embraced by the scope of the appended claims.

' It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

'1. In a tractor, the combination of a drawbar for hitching trailing equipment to said tractor, a rearward operators compartment comprising a pair of side members mounted on and extending longitudinally at opposite sides, respectively, of said tractor in transversely spaced relation to each other and affording arm rests of said operators compartment, a back rest structure extending transversely between said side members, a shelf structure mounted on and extending longitudinally of said tractor intermediate said side members and forwardly of said back rest structure, a drivers seat supported at its opposite sides on said shelf structure and on one of said side members, respectively; seat supporting means mounted on the other of said side members opposite to and at a predetermined distance from said shelf structure, a companions seat section having opposite side portions adapted to rest on said shelf structure and on said seat supporting means, respectively, so that said companions seat section will be supported in an operative installed position adjacent to said drivers-seat, and so that removal of said companions seat section from said installed position will expose a leg space between said drivers seat and said other side member; driver operated tractor controls mounted at said station forwardly of said drivers seat; and a power takeoff on said tractor connectable with a power unit including a control element rearwardly of said back rest structure, for operating said trailing equipment; so that upon removal of said companions seat section a driver may place himself into a sidewise position on said drivers seat for forward observation of said tractor and rearward observation of said trailing equipment and for manipulation, of said tractor controls and of said control element of said power unit.

2. In a tractor, the combination of a drawbar for hitching trailing equipment to said tractor, a power take-off on said tractor connectable with a power unit for operating said trailing equipment, driver operated tractor controls mounted at a rearwardly located operators station on said tractor, a drivers seat mounted on said station rearwar'dly of said tractor controls, a control element connected with said power unit and located rearwardly of said drivers seat; a back rest structure mounted on and extending transversely of said tractor and having a portion in rear of said drivers seat and another portion at one side of said drivers seat, a companions seat section including a frame structure, shelf means on said tractor engageable with said frame structure so as to removably support said companions seat section in an operative position forwardly of said other portion of said back rest structure and in overlying relation to a leg space at said one side of said drivers seat, so that upon removal of said companions seat section from its operative position a driver may place himself into a sidewise position on said drivers seat for forward observation of said tractor and rearward observation of said trailing equipment and for manipulation of said tractor controls and of said control element.

3. In a tractor, the combination'of driver onerated tractor controls mounted at a rearwardly located operators station on said tractor, driver operated equipment controls mounted on said tractor in rearwardly spaced relation to said tractor controls, a drivers seat mounted on said tractor rearwardly of said tractor controls and forwardly of said equipment controls, a back rest structure mounted on and extending transversel of said tractor and having a portion in rear of said drivers seat and another portion at one side of said drivers seat, a companions seat sectiori including a frame structure, shelf means on said tractor engagealole with said frame structure so as to removably support said companions seat section in an operative position forwardly of said other portion of said back rest structure and in overlying relation to a leg space at said one side of said drivers seat, so that upon removal of said companions seat section from its operative position a driver may place himself into a sidewise position on said drivers seat for manipulating said tractor and equipment controls.

VANDER. M. DOBEUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,177,951 Hupp Apr. 4, 1916 1,803,409 Moore May 5, 1931 1,945,169 Walker Jan. 30, 1934 1,985,169 Howell et al Dec. 18, 1934 2,275,391 Lawler Mar. 3, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,108 Great Britain Feb. 11, 1888 

